New strategic offensive relationship between Jordan and the EU

King Abdullah and European Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighborhood Policy Johannes Hahn on Monday discussed Jordan's strategic partnership with the EU and recent regional developments.

The meeting, which was held at the Al Husseiniya Palace, also focused on EU-Jordan cooperation and the possibilities of maximizing the benefits for the Kingdom of the relaxed EU rules of origin for Jordanian exports to Europe, according to a statement from the Royal Court.

King Abdullah expressed his gratitude for the EU's support to Jordan in several aspects.

Discussions also focused on developments in the peace process between Palestinians and Israelis, with the King emphasizing the importance of intensifying efforts to achieve a just and lasting peace on the basis of the solution to peace. two states, which leads to the creation of an independent Palestinian state. with East Jerusalem as capital.

The talks also focused on UNRWA's financial difficulties, with King Abdullah calling on the organization to provide relief, education and health services.

In this regard, the King praised the EU's role in promoting the peace process and upholding UNRWA's mandate.

The King and Hahn also stressed the importance of seeking political solutions to the crises in the Middle East, particularly the Syrian crisis, and the need to find a solution guaranteeing the unity of its territories and territories. of his people.

The meeting focused on the impact of the Syrian refugee crisis on the Jordanian economy and its limited resources. The King and the EU official have called for the creation of conditions conducive to the voluntary return of refugees to their country.

Hahn said the EU sees Jordan as its main partner and wants to help the Kingdom implement its development plans and economic plan.

The EU official also expressed the EU's satisfaction with Jordan's "big" contributions to welcoming a large number of Syrian refugees.

Also on Monday, Prime Minister Omar Razzaz met with Hahn on the economic challenges facing the Kingdom and the repercussions of the regional turmoil in Jordan, the Jordanian news agency Petra reported.

Discussions focused on the mega-projects that the Kingdom plans to implement, mainly the Red Sea-Dead Sea water transport project, on which Jordan plans to set up desalination plants. 39 Water and maintain the water level of the Dead Sea.

Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi also met with Hahn to discuss ways to strengthen cooperation on the economy, investment and development, in addition to recent regional developments, including efforts to exit the peace process and to support UNRWA.

The two sides also discussed progress in efforts to find a political solution to the Syrian crisis and the case of Syrian refugees, particularly with regard to the burden that Jordan faces as a result of hosting. 1.3 million Syrians and the need for adequate international support to support services to refugees. .

Safadi stressed that UNRWA was linked to the fate of Palestinian refugees, which, he said, is one of the final status issues to be resolved in accordance with resolutions of international legitimacy and within the framework of A comprehensive solution to the conflict guaranteeing all the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, and in particular their right to freedom and an independent state in the pre-1967 lines, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

Hahn praised Jordan's humanitarian role in providing refugees and ensuring security and stability in the region.

King Abdullah's meeting with US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin also focused Monday on economic cooperation between Amman and Washington and ways to strengthen it.

The king stressed the importance of the strategic partnership between the two countries, expressing his appreciation of the American support to the Kingdom, according to a second statement of the Royal Court.

For his part, Mnuchin commended Jordan's role in supporting efforts to achieve security and stability in the region and Amman's role in hosting Syrian refugees, noting that the United States will continue to to help Jordan in various fields.

The meeting focused on the economic challenges facing the Kingdom as a result of regional crises, as well as on economic plans to boost growth rates, create jobs and strengthen the economy's ability to cope with climate change. different challenges.

The talks also focused on Jordan's severe impact following the Syrian refugee crisis and growing pressure on the services and infrastructure sectors.

At the same time, Razzaz met with Mnuchin and stressed the importance of the Jordan-US Free Trade Agreement, which offers great opportunities for Jordanian exports in the textile sector.

This article has been adapted from its original source.